Ironing board cover



Nov. 20, 19 R. c. DWINELL ETAL 3,054,374

IRONING BOARD COVER Filed April 2, 1959 INVENTORS RICHARD C. DWINELL BY ARTHUR L. 6/700 ATTORNEYS tates This invention relates to ironing board covers and has to do more particularly with an ironing board cover having novel wear-resisting qualities.

Ironing board covers are customarily formed from woven fabric such as linen, duck, drill, sheetings, and other fabrics and are subject to Wear and deterioration under conditions of normal use, including the heat of the iron and the strains imposed on the fabric by the pressing action. Accordingly, it is necessary to replace the cover at frequent intervals. The major wear takes Place along a longitudinally extending zone centrally of the cover because of the natural tendency of the user to apply the iron to the item being ironed along such a zone, with a minimum of application of the iron to the item along the portions overlying the longitudinal marginal portions of the top of the ironing board.

It has been proposed to reinforce ironing board covers along the central longitudinal zone wherein the major portion of the wear takes place. However, such proposals have involved the use of reinforcing which is attached to the main or principal fabric member. This results in marked difference in thickness of the cover at the edges of the reinforcing relatively to the portion of the cover which is not reinforced. Suchdifference in thickness often causes an unsightly crease to be formed in the item being ironed, especially where the item is formed of relatively thin material. Moreover, where there is a substantial difference in thickness between the reinforced portion of the cover and the adjacent portions, the iron may snag when moved from the non-reinforced to the reinforced portion of the cover, resulting in an undesirable wrinkling of the item being ironed. Additionally, such method of reinforcing the cover requires an additional operation and additional material and entails a substantial additional expense thereby substantially increasing the total cost of the cover.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ironing board cover which is reinforced at the zone where the major wear normally occurs in such manner that there is no noticeable difference in thickness between the reinforced portion of the cover and the adjacent portions.

Another object is to provide an ironing board cover which is of stronger and more wear resisting material throughout the portion where the major wear normally occurs and wherein the strengthening of the fabric is effected during the initial forming of the fabric and does not require a separate forming operation.

A further object is to provide an ironing board cover which is reinforced in the zone wherein the major portion of the wear occurs, which reinforcing is of such form that it may be provided at a very small cost in addition to the cost of a cover not having such reinforcing.

Still another object is to provide an ironing board cover having a reinforced zone therein so formed that there is no noticeable difference in thickness between the reinforced zone and the adjacent portions, and wherein means are provided for visibly indicating the limits of the reinforced zone, whereby the user may readily be guided in applying the iron to that portion of the item to be ironed which overlies the reinforced zone to the end that the maximum life or the cover may be obtained.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein:

3,064,374 Patented Nov. 20, 1962 ice FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an ironing board cover formed in accordance with our invention, the cover being shown as applied to an ironing board of conventional form;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the face of the portion of the cover at the portion indicated; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a second form of cover applied to an ironing board of conventional form.

The cover 10 of the present invention preferably is formed from woven textile fabric, or cloth, such as is customarily used in forming ironing board covers, except that the fabric is modified in the ways hereinafter explained. Such fabric preferably is duck, drill or linen. The cover also may be formed from other suitable sheet material.

The body of the cover 10 is formed from a single piece of material of suitable shape and size to cover the top 11 of the ironing board and to extend around and under the edges of the top as hereinafter explained. In the embodiment of the invention shown, the body of the cover is of elongate tapered form adapted to fit an ironing board top of conventional form. However, the cover may be made in elongate, non-tapered form to fit an ironing board top having a rectangular shape, or it may be suitably formed to fit an ironing board top of any other shape.

In order to provide for holding the cover on the ironing board top and for maintaining the cover taut on the upper face of the top (or over a pad 12 where one is employed) we preferably provide a contracted, elastic edging 13-14. Other suitable means may be used such as a drawstring (not shown) or a lacing (not shown).

The cover is provided with a longitudinally extending central reinforcing panel 15, the portions 16 laterally of the reinforcing panel being unreinforced. The reinforcing panel 15 is of a width suflicient to cover that portion of the ironing board top over which the user customarily most frequently moves the iron in the ironing operation. We have found that in using an ironing board of customary width, namely, about 15", the user moves the iron along a Zone approximately 9 wide located symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center line of the ironing board top.

The reinforcing panel preferably is formed by weaving the fabric to make the same more dense in the panel portion than in the remaining portions. This is accomplished by weaving the fabric with a greater number of warp threads per inch in the panel section than in the remaining portions. The number of filling threads per inch are the same throughout all portions of the cover.

In the preferred embodiment of our invention the fabric is woven with a warp thread count of 68 in the portions on opposite sides of the central panel. The central panel is woven with a warp thread count of in the central panel section. The fabric weight in the portions on the opposite side of the panel is three (3) yards per pound and the weight in he central panel is two and three-quarters (2%) yards per pound. The filler thread count is approximately 40 throughout the fabric. All of the warp threads are of the same weight and all of the filler threads are of the same weight.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of a fabric having the aforementioned thread count but that such count may be varied. Thus, with heavier or lighter fabrics the thread count will be different from that specified. However, in any case the warp thread count in the central panel will be higher than in the portions on opposite sides of such panel.

The fabric may be formed with any suitable weave but either a twill weave or a plain weave is preferred.

After the cloth has been woven it is either pre-shrunk or Sanforized by a known process in order to limit shrinkage when the cover from which the cloth is formed is washed. This shrinking action also makes the cloth more dense and hence more wear resisting. The cover body is then cut from the cloth and the edging attached thereto to complete the cover.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 4, our invention also provides, in one embodiment thereof, for a pair of visual indicator lines 21 at the boundaries of the reinforcing panel 20, in order to remind the user to effect a pressing movement of the iron in that portion of the item being ironed which overlies the panel and to indicate to the user the lateral boundaries of the panel. Such visual indication is provided by using one or more warp threads at the boundaries, which thread present a different appearance than the remaining threads forming the cover. Preferably this is accomplished by using thread or threads at each boundary which is of sufficiently different color from the other threads to provide the desired diiference in appearance. The contrast in the appearance presented by such two different threads is sufficient to make the locations of the boundary threads readily visible.

The cover may be provided with a heat resistant aluminum-silicone coating in a known manner.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the invention provides an ironing board cover which is so reinforced and strengthened as to provide for an increased wear life. The reinforcing is incorporated during the weaving of the cloth and is provided in only the portion of the cover wherein it is required. Accordingly, the reinforcing may be provided at minimum cost. The reinforcing is so provided that there is no appreciable increase in thickness of the cover at the reinforced portion and there is therefore no possibility of forming a crease in the item being ironed, nor any possibility of snagging the iron at the boundary of the reinforced portion.

We claim:

1. An ironing board cover formed from a sheet woven entirely of textile threads and having substantially all of the warp threads of the same weight and substantially all of the filler threads of the same weight, said cover having a central longitudinal panel portion wherein all of the warp threads are equally spaced and two side portions adjoining said central panel portion wherein all of the warp threads are equally spaced, there being a greater number of warp threads per unit of width in said central panel portion than in said side portions, and means including at least one warp thread at each longitudinal boundary of said central panel portion of a different color than the remaining threads to render said boundary readily visible.

2. An ironing board cover formed from a sheet woven entirely of textile threads and having substantially all of the warp threads of the same weight and substantially all of the filler threads of the same weight, said cover having 7 a first longitudinal panel portion spaced inwardly from the longitudinal edges of said cover and wherein all of the warp threads are equally spaced and longitudinal side portions adjoining said first panel portion on each side thereof and wherein all of the warp threads are equally spaced, there being a greater number of warp threads per unit of width in said first panel portion than in said side portions, and means including at least one warp thread at each longitudinal boundary of said first panel portion of a different color than the remaining threads to render said boundary readily visible.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 687,465 Taylor Nov 26, 1901 1,623,637 Rosenthal Apr. 5, 1927 1,832,545 Grant Nov. 17, 1931 1,937,033 Smith NOV. 28, 1933 2,214,824 Smith et al. Sept. 17, 1940 2,382,830 Sunbury Aug. 14, 1945 2,586,204 Camillo Feb. 19, 1952 2,667,685 ObitZ Feb. 2, 1954 2,704,730 Glatt Mar. 22, 1955' 2,809,510 West Oct. 15, 1957 

